The Backlog Check-in Vol. 422: 1/31/26: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Edition

[argyle]

Many years ago, I spent hours cross-stitching his first form...it's in a box around here somewhere )

I need to see this!

I actually did some cross-stitching as a kid in middle school. We had one "elective" class period where you really only had 2 choices: if you were in the band, you took band, otherwise you took arts & crafts. I really enjoyed the arts & crafts class, it's where I first took an interest in art and that carried through high school & into college with art classes. Anyway, all that to say we dabbled in a lot of different crafts that year & cross stitching was one of them - I even made a few gifts for relatives that year.

I find it very interesting to hear about people's personal connections to games that make them so special to them. I had games too that I played through with a friend, and those are definitely some great memories. Basically, I'm here for any of these childhood / early adulthood gaming stories any of you guys have.

[canedaddy]

I find it very interesting to hear about people's personal connections to games that make them so special to them. I had games too that I played through with a friend, and those are definitely some great memories. Basically, I'm here for any of these childhood / early adulthood gaming stories any of you guys have.

Yeah, those are great. Well done, j!

I don't have many of those, but I can tell you it was absolutely mind-blowing when my dad hooked up this thing to the TV called Pong that let you determine what was happening on the screen (!!!) by turning knobs as you played table tennis and "hockey." Bro and I felt like we had been transported to the future!

[isthatallyougot]

J, I really appreciate your detailed thoughts and recommendations. It seems, based on your preferences, that I've mostly experienced the best of the best. I am curious what elevates IV to the top for you as well if you have any more detailed thoughts.

IV is at the top of my list for several reasons (some very specific and may only apply to me )::

Some basic history: It was released in Oct 1992 in the US, 14 months after the SNES. A lot of people had moved on to the new system, but my friend and I had not. He owned the game - I never owned an actual copy until the DS version released - and we used to play through all these NES RPGs together (FF I, DW I, DW III, DW IV, Crystalis, Destiny of an Emperor, etc).

1. I love the chapter system. A lot of times, my favorite part of a JRPG is the beginning where you're meeting characters, learning about the world/lore, etc. You do that 5 times here, but the first 4 chapters are each relatively short. And everyone joins forces in the last chapter to take on evil!
2. Speaking of characters - I find them endearing with their different skills and personalities. Coming off III with it's hero and 3 randos that don't talk, it was an upgrade IMO.
3. Many "firsts" in the series
a. Casino
b. Mini Medals
c. AI-controlled characters - in the NES version, you only control the Hero's commands and everyone else follows tactics (Prioritize Healing, Conserve MP, Go All Out, etc)...this can lead to some epic moments both positive and negative (like a mage casting a spell we know won't work), but hey it was pretty cool at the time. Later versions you can control all characters manually if you want.
d. A wagon for the rest of your party (you have 4 in your main setup and can swap people in and out of the wagon)
4. The main antagonist - He even got his own game a few years ago (DQM: The Dark Prince)! I still recall the epic final battle that goes through many stages (as in, you do enough damage and you defeat his arm, etc). Many years ago, I spent hours cross-stitching his first form...it's in a box around here somewhere )

1. That's a cool structure.

3. I didn't know that these things were introduced after the initial entries, but I would have assumed there must have been some changes over time. As for the AI controlled characters I can imagine how that would be equal parts infuriating and exciting and there would have been moments of real exhilaration when battles were tight. I can also see how it may have been really punitive, given the fact that you likely would have often been in position to be forced to replay potentially lengthy segments. But, I can surely see the thrill in it.

4. That's a really cool expression of passion for this game! When I was younger, someone in my family (some relative I think, but I can't remember now) got me and my brother a latch-hook rug crafting kit. I got a baseball and my brother a basketball. (It's a craft where you loop yarn with a tool through a grid/pattern to create an image - sort of like paint by numbers.) Anyway, I got through the bottom three or four rows before dropping it entirely, lol. I remember seeing it in the back of my brother's and my closet laying there - forever unfinished, barely began even, lol. I was young and most certainly not in the proper frame of mind for something so repetitive and meditative - I wanted to be running around like a wild baboon most of the time. Anyway, I admire both your patience (for that type of work) and indifference / self-confidence for sharing something that some may view as less "masculine". And I can see the appeal of various types crafting, although I doubt it's something I'd ever make time for.

I have DQ IV on the DS. Maybe I should make it my next entry in the series whenever I'm ready for another go! Or go the other route with your earlier suggestions.

I don't have many of those, but I can tell you it was absolutely mind-blowing when my dad hooked up this thing to the TV called Pong that let you determine what was happening on the screen (!!!) by turning knobs as you played table tennis and "hockey." Bro and I felt like we had been transported to the future!

Yeah, I have a similar memory around pong and those earlier pre Atari-VCS systems. I had an aunt and uncle that had the RCA Studio II and used to love playing bowling on it.





This medium/creative format has surely come a long way over a pretty short period of time.

[jfissel]

Many years ago, I spent hours cross-stitching his first form...it's in a box around here somewhere )

I need to see this!

I actually did some cross-stitching as a kid in middle school. We had one "elective" class period where you really only had 2 choices: if you were in the band, you took band, otherwise you took arts & crafts. I really enjoyed the arts & crafts class, it's where I first took an interest in art and that carried through high school & into college with art classes. Anyway, all that to say we dabbled in a lot of different crafts that year & cross stitching was one of them - I even made a few gifts for relatives that year.

I find it very interesting to hear about people's personal connections to games that make them so special to them. I had games too that I played through with a friend, and those are definitely some great memories. Basically, I'm here for any of these childhood / early adulthood gaming stories any of you guys have.

Check PM.

And I will try to remember some other stories.

IV is at the top of my list for several reasons (some very specific and may only apply to me )::

Some basic history: It was released in Oct 1992 in the US, 14 months after the SNES. A lot of people had moved on to the new system, but my friend and I had not. He owned the game - I never owned an actual copy until the DS version released - and we used to play through all these NES RPGs together (FF I, DW I, DW III, DW IV, Crystalis, Destiny of an Emperor, etc).

1. I love the chapter system. A lot of times, my favorite part of a JRPG is the beginning where you're meeting characters, learning about the world/lore, etc. You do that 5 times here, but the first 4 chapters are each relatively short. And everyone joins forces in the last chapter to take on evil!
2. Speaking of characters - I find them endearing with their different skills and personalities. Coming off III with it's hero and 3 randos that don't talk, it was an upgrade IMO.
3. Many "firsts" in the series
a. Casino
b. Mini Medals
c. AI-controlled characters - in the NES version, you only control the Hero's commands and everyone else follows tactics (Prioritize Healing, Conserve MP, Go All Out, etc)...this can lead to some epic moments both positive and negative (like a mage casting a spell we know won't work), but hey it was pretty cool at the time. Later versions you can control all characters manually if you want.
d. A wagon for the rest of your party (you have 4 in your main setup and can swap people in and out of the wagon)
4. The main antagonist - He even got his own game a few years ago (DQM: The Dark Prince)! I still recall the epic final battle that goes through many stages (as in, you do enough damage and you defeat his arm, etc). Many years ago, I spent hours cross-stitching his first form...it's in a box around here somewhere )

1. That's a cool structure.

3. I didn't know that these things were introduced after the initial entries, but I would have assumed there must have been some changes over time. As for the AI controlled characters I can imagine how that would be equal parts infuriating and exciting and there would have been moments of real exhilaration when battles were tight. I can also see how it may have been really punitive, given the fact that you likely would have often been in position to be forced to replay potentially lengthy segments. But, I can surely see the thrill in it.

4. That's a really cool expression of passion for this game! When I was younger, someone in my family (some relative I think, but I can't remember now) got me and my brother a latch-hook rug crafting kit. I got a baseball and my brother a basketball. (It's a craft where you loop yarn with a tool through a grid/pattern to create an image - sort of like paint by numbers.) Anyway, I got through the bottom three or four rows before dropping it entirely, lol. I remember seeing it in the back of my brother's and my closet laying there - forever unfinished, barely began even, lol. I was young and most certainly not in the proper frame of mind for something so repetitive and meditative - I wanted to be running around like a wild baboon most of the time. Anyway, I admire both your patience (for that type of work) and indifference / self-confidence for sharing something that some may view as less "masculine". And I can see the appeal of various types crafting, although I doubt it's something I'd ever make time for.

I have DQ IV on the DS. Maybe I should make it my next entry in the series whenever I'm ready for another go! Or go the other route with your earlier suggestions.

3.c. I should mention that I did some digging yesterday and found that there is a "leveling up" system in the background for the AI, but the player has no knowledge of it (think of it like "mage casts sleep but the enemy never falls asleep" and then the character gradually learns from level 0 to 3 that the specific enemy is immune). I don't believe I ever knew that.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/56340 ... faqs/81896

Here is one I did of another of my fav games, FF I. I remember finding a site (spritestitch.com I think it was) that had a bunch of patterns people had made...sprite games are the easiest to stitch as 1 stitch equals 1 pixel. I may have even created the DW IV boss pattern myself, but I can't be sure.



I will PM argyle with the pic of the DW IV boss so as to not spoil izzy. My original plan for this one was a whole set of all his forms with the game text below each one (like "____ loses an arm" or whatever...that got abandoned when the first one took me a long time to make.

FF I is 8"x10.5" and DW IV boss is 8.5"x11.5".

[isthatallyougot]

Many years ago, I spent hours cross-stitching his first form...it's in a box around here somewhere )

I need to see this!

I actually did some cross-stitching as a kid in middle school. We had one "elective" class period where you really only had 2 choices: if you were in the band, you took band, otherwise you took arts & crafts. I really enjoyed the arts & crafts class, it's where I first took an interest in art and that carried through high school & into college with art classes. Anyway, all that to say we dabbled in a lot of different crafts that year & cross stitching was one of them - I even made a few gifts for relatives that year.

I find it very interesting to hear about people's personal connections to games that make them so special to them. I had games too that I played through with a friend, and those are definitely some great memories. Basically, I'm here for any of these childhood / early adulthood gaming stories any of you guys have.

Check PM.

And I will try to remember some other stories.

IV is at the top of my list for several reasons (some very specific and may only apply to me )::

Some basic history: It was released in Oct 1992 in the US, 14 months after the SNES. A lot of people had moved on to the new system, but my friend and I had not. He owned the game - I never owned an actual copy until the DS version released - and we used to play through all these NES RPGs together (FF I, DW I, DW III, DW IV, Crystalis, Destiny of an Emperor, etc).

1. I love the chapter system. A lot of times, my favorite part of a JRPG is the beginning where you're meeting characters, learning about the world/lore, etc. You do that 5 times here, but the first 4 chapters are each relatively short. And everyone joins forces in the last chapter to take on evil!
2. Speaking of characters - I find them endearing with their different skills and personalities. Coming off III with it's hero and 3 randos that don't talk, it was an upgrade IMO.
3. Many "firsts" in the series
a. Casino
b. Mini Medals
c. AI-controlled characters - in the NES version, you only control the Hero's commands and everyone else follows tactics (Prioritize Healing, Conserve MP, Go All Out, etc)...this can lead to some epic moments both positive and negative (like a mage casting a spell we know won't work), but hey it was pretty cool at the time. Later versions you can control all characters manually if you want.
d. A wagon for the rest of your party (you have 4 in your main setup and can swap people in and out of the wagon)
4. The main antagonist - He even got his own game a few years ago (DQM: The Dark Prince)! I still recall the epic final battle that goes through many stages (as in, you do enough damage and you defeat his arm, etc). Many years ago, I spent hours cross-stitching his first form...it's in a box around here somewhere )

1. That's a cool structure.

3. I didn't know that these things were introduced after the initial entries, but I would have assumed there must have been some changes over time. As for the AI controlled characters I can imagine how that would be equal parts infuriating and exciting and there would have been moments of real exhilaration when battles were tight. I can also see how it may have been really punitive, given the fact that you likely would have often been in position to be forced to replay potentially lengthy segments. But, I can surely see the thrill in it.

4. That's a really cool expression of passion for this game! When I was younger, someone in my family (some relative I think, but I can't remember now) got me and my brother a latch-hook rug crafting kit. I got a baseball and my brother a basketball. (It's a craft where you loop yarn with a tool through a grid/pattern to create an image - sort of like paint by numbers.) Anyway, I got through the bottom three or four rows before dropping it entirely, lol. I remember seeing it in the back of my brother's and my closet laying there - forever unfinished, barely began even, lol. I was young and most certainly not in the proper frame of mind for something so repetitive and meditative - I wanted to be running around like a wild baboon most of the time. Anyway, I admire both your patience (for that type of work) and indifference / self-confidence for sharing something that some may view as less "masculine". And I can see the appeal of various types crafting, although I doubt it's something I'd ever make time for.

I have DQ IV on the DS. Maybe I should make it my next entry in the series whenever I'm ready for another go! Or go the other route with your earlier suggestions.

3.c. I should mention that I did some digging yesterday and found that there is a "leveling up" system in the background for the AI, but the player has no knowledge of it (think of it like "mage casts sleep but the enemy never falls asleep" and then the character gradually learns from level 0 to 3 that the specific enemy is immune). I don't believe I ever knew that.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/56340 ... faqs/81896

Here is one I did of another of my fav games, FF I. I remember finding a site (spritestitch.com I think it was) that had a bunch of patterns people had made...sprite games are the easiest to stitch as 1 stitch equals 1 pixel. I may have even created the DW IV boss pattern myself, but I can't be sure.



I will PM argyle with the pic of the DW IV boss so as to not spoil izzy. My original plan for this one was a whole set of all his forms with the game text below each one (like "____ loses an arm" or whatever...that got abandoned when the first one took me a long time to make.

FF I is 8"x10.5" and DW IV boss is 8.5"x11.5".

Very cool! You're a talented fucker, er um, machine! Thanks for sharing. You can post the other one if you want. I'm sometimes sensitive about some spoilers, but not to that degree. I'm not insane...I'm really NOT!



I thought FF1 was decent enough, but I played it so long after the fact and the frequency of random encounters really wore me down. It was okay in premise, if it wouldn't have disrupted navigation so severely. But it was surely a charming game, and I can see why it had such a profound influence on gaming.

[isthatallyougot]

puella ingeniosa

Sorry to drop this without context. Carry on brothers.

[canedaddy]

That FF1 cross stitch is soooo good. Speaking of foundational gaming memories, that's one for me: Just out of college and living in a strange new town, I played that on NES as my first RPG, drawing maps of some of the dungeons on paper and really getting into this new kind of game. (Up until then I almost exclusively played sports games and the two pack-ins, Mario and Duck Hunt.)

[isthatallyougot]

That FF1 cross stitch is soooo good. Speaking of foundational gaming memories, that's one for me: Just out of college and living in a strange new town, I played that on NES as my first RPG, drawing maps of some of the dungeons on paper and really getting into this new kind of game. (Up until then I almost exclusively played sports games and the two pack-ins, Mario and Duck Hunt.)

Edit: How long did it take you to make that j?

Yeah, I also played a lot of sports games early on too, although I also played lots of other stuff. Most of the sports games weren't that great on the VCS, but Activision Decathlon was fantastic! Pele's Soccer was also fun on the 2600, even if the three guys on your team were all stuck in their relative positional formations. I still remember how cool the fireworks screen was after scoring a goal! And Decathlon was so fun, but it was a controller destroying experience as you had to oscillate the joystick very rapidly in some events. I eventually removed the entire shell from the joystick because of the abuse, lol.

I've got a nice early and formative gaming memory. My father and I have always had a very strained relationship, even in the best of times - we're just very different people. But there was one winter in Tennessee where my brother and I were out of school for winter weather - really pretty mild, but of course the South is far less prepared for snow and ice, and so we ended up missing more than a week of school due to some wintry mix. And my father, who was a brick mason, was also impacted when bad weather hit and so he was off for a significant amount of time as well. During this time, I (and my brother) played our 2600 all the time, and my dad who generally does not like that sort of thing at all spent some time with my brother and I playing Chopper Command. We sat and played it for hours until we got good enough to flip the score back to zero, and the game got really fast and pretty intense as you progressed. My dad was really into it, and it was a rare time where I felt a sort of bond with him. And I vividly remember those good times.

Also, my dad was really into music (particularly Elvis) and the tv sat in the middle of an entertainment center where there was also a record player and stereo system. And so often my brother and I would sit and alternate playing (or play with / against each other) while we also took turns playing our respective records. He had Michael Jackson's Thriller and Culture Club's Colour By Numbers among others and I usually listened to Synchronicity by The Police and Reach the Beach by the Fixx. So I guess that places me at around 13 or 14. But I remember my brother used to say that he had Reach the Beach stuck in his head because I would often play it while we were playing Adventure. That music really became ingrained within due to the focus on playing while the music sort of seeped deep into the subconscious, I suppose.

There are many other fun gaming moments to share, for sure, but I'll offer that for now.